Rail-joint.



L. H. BRAUN.

RAIL 10m.

APPLICATION FILED JAN-31,19l7.

Patented May 29, 191?.

S. Rd

@FFTQE.

LUTHER H. BRAUN, OF STEUBENVILLE, OHIO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF T0 FRANK X.S'IECKER, OF STEUIBENVILLE, OHIO.

RAIL-JOINT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 29, 1917.

Application filed January 31, 1917. Serial No. 145,634.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LUTHER H. BRAUN, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, and resident of Steubenville, county of Jefferson, and State ofOhio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rail- Joints,of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates broadly to rail joints, and more particularly toa coupling for the adjacent ends of railway rails.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a comparatively simpleand inexpensive coupling for the ends of railway rails in which the useof the usual connecting bolts is wholly dispensed with and which afiordspositive means for maintaining the rail ends in proper relation.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of thecharacter mentioned which effectually guards against longitudinalcreeping of the rails.

With these and other objects in view, the invention resides in thefeatures of construction, arrangement of parts and combinations ofelements which will hereinafter be fully described, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, inwhich- Figure 1 is. a perspective view of the invention applied;

Fig. 2 is a partial longitudinal section of the rail chair, showing theweb-embracing members in position;

Fig. 3 is a central longitudinal section of the invention applied;

Fig. 4 is a transverse section on line &-4:, Fig. 2; and

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the webembracing members.

Referring to said drawings, in which like designating charactersdistinguish like parts throughout the several views- 1 and 2 indicatethe integral parallel members of a rail-embracing clamp, each of saidmembers corresponding generally in crosssectional form to a common typeof'angle bar except that it has the upright rail-webengaging portion 3thereof of slightly less height than the normal height of such angle barto afford a space between its upper edge and the shoulder of an engagedrail. Said members 1 and 2 are joined at a point sub stantially midwaybetween the ends of the member 1 by an integral abutment 4 having theform of an isosceles triangle, the apex of of which projects above theedges of said portions 3. The oppositely facing sides of said abutmentmay be disposed at any appropriate angle, as 45, to the base thereof andare adapted to receive in abutting relation thereto the ends of adjacentrailway rails 5 and 6 which have sections of triangular form cuttherefrom, removing portions of their webs and bases, such removedsections corresponding substantially in form and size to that ofone-half said abutment divided vertically through its apex, as is mostclearly shown in Fig. 3.

The member 2 of the rail-embracing clamp is of less length than themember 1, one end thereof being in the same vertical plane with thecorresponding end of said member 1 and the other end thereof terminatingin the inclined plane of the oppositely facing side of the abutment 1,as shown in Figs. 2 and 5. A separate member 7 is complemental to saidmember 2, having its inner end inclined to correspond with and to assumemitering relation to the inclined end of the latter. Said member 7constitutes a locking element whereby longitudinal movement of therailembracing clamp in a forward direction is prevented, the samecooperating with a shoulder 8 presentedby an inwardly extending wall 9formed-integral with one of the side portions 10 of a rail chair 10which is designed to closely embrace the adjacent rail ends and theclamp.

Said rail chair 10 is formed in a single piece and consists of a flatbase 10 adapted to be mounted upon the usual crossties, and the oppositeside portions 10 the latter being shaped to conformably embrace the railends and the clamp which comprises the members 1 and 2, as aforesaid,and also the locking element 7, said side portions having inwardlydirected terminal edge 10 adapted to fill the spaces between the upperedges of the members 1 and 2 and the overhanging shoulders constitutedby the under sides of the rail-head, as is clearly shown in Figs. 1 anda.

The rail chair 10 preferably has an integral base extension 10 formed atone end thereof, or, if desired, such an extension may be provided ateach end of the chair. Said extension is provided with notches orrecesses 11 in the edges thereof for the reception of securing spikes,as 12.

In practice, the application of the device is preferably accomplished inthe following manner: The locking element 7 is first introduced withinthe rail chair l0 and is held therein in proper position, as by hand orby means of a suitable tool, until the end of rail 6 has been enteredwithin said chair a distance slightly past the outer end of saidelement; whereupon the latter will be prevented by said rail fromfalling laterally inward. The chair is then slipped forward over saidrail until the end of the latter occupies a position substantiallymidway between the chair ends. Then the clamp comprising the members 1and 2 is slipped upon the end of rail 5 to a position wherein theinclined end of the latter seats against the adjacent face of theabutment 4c, whereupon the clamp and said rail 5 are together introducedwithin the end of chair 10 opposite that occupied by the end of rail 6,the inward movement of the clamp and the rail 5 being continued untilthe abutment seats against said rail 6; or, if said rail 6 has beenprojected past the midway point of the chair, said movement iscontinued, driving rail 6 outward, until the inclined end of the lockingelement 7 is engaged by the inclined end of the clamp member 2; or, incase said locking element has been advanced beyond its normal seatingposition, as is liable to occur due to frictional engagement therewithof rail 6 when the latter is being in troduced, said movement iscontinued, forcing said locking element outward, until the outer end ofthe latter engages the shoulder 8 presented by the inwardly extendingwall 9 of the chair.

As is obvious, the positioned clamp is positively locked against forwardmovement by the locking element 7 which is interlocked as aforesaid withthe rail chair 10, which latter is immovably attached to the under lyingcrossties. Consequently, the rail 5 having its end seated against theabutment 4: of said clamp is positively maintained against forwardcreeping movement. It will be noted, however, that the device doesnotmaintain the rails, or either of them, against longitudinal creepingmovement in an outward directionthat is, does not prevent movement ofsaid rails in directions away from each other. Such movement is howeverprevented in practice by the obvious expedient of disposing adjacentjoints in reversed relationthat is, by mounting adjacent chairs inreverse positions.

lVhat is claimed is 1. The combination with the adjacent ends of railwayrails, each of which has a portion of the web and base thereof cut away,of a rail clamp comprising a pair of parallel rail embracing members andan integral abutment joining said members substantially midway betweenthe ends of said clamp and adapted for receiving said rail endsthereagainst, one of said members having one end of shorter length thanthe corresponding end of the other member, a looking elementcomplemental to said shorter end and adapted to engage the latter, and arail chair adapted to occupy embracing relation to said clamp and tosaid locking element and to support said rail ends, said chair having ashoulder adjacent to one end thereof against which the outer end of saidlocking element seats and which prevents longitudinal movement of saidelement in an outward direction.

2. The combination with the adjacent ends of railway rails, each ofwhich has a portion of the web and base thereof cut away, of a railclamp comprising a pair of parallel rail-embracing members which arerigidly united intermediate their ends by a transverse connectingmember, said connecting member being adapted for receiving said railends in seating relation thereto, and a rail chair adapted to receivesaid clamp and the embraced rail ends within its embrace, said clamphaving an inturned portion at one end thereof affording a shoulderwhereby the extent of longitudinal movement of said clamp in onedirection is limited.

3. The combination with theadjacent ends of railway rails, each of whichhas a portion of the Web and base thereof cut away, of a rail clampcomprising a pair of parallel rail-embracing members which are rigidlyunited intermediate their ends by .a transverse connecting member, saidconnecting member being adapted for receiving said rail ends in seatingrelation thereto, said rail-embracing members having theirrailweb-engaging portions of less height than the rail web, and a railchair adapted to receive said clamp and the embraced rail ends withinits embrace, said chair having inturned terminal edges snugly occu yingthe spaces between the upper edges 0 said rail-embracing members and theoverlying shoulders of'the rails, and said chair also having a portionat one end thereof preventing outward movement of said clamp in onedirection from its properly sea-ted position.

4;. The combination with the adjacent ends of railway rails, each ofwhich has .a portion of the web and base thereof cut away, of a railclamp comprising a pair of parallel rail-embracing members and anintegral abutment joining said members substantially midway between theends of said clamp and adapted for receiving said rail endstherea'gai-nst, one ofsaid members having one end of shorter length thanthe corresponding end of the other member, a locking elementcomplemental to said shorter end and adapted to engage the latter, saidrail-embracing members having their railweb-engaging portions of lessheight than the .rail web, and a rail chair adapted to receive withinits embrace said clamp and said locking element, together with theembraced rail ends, said chair having inturned terminal edges disposedin underlying seated relation to the shoulders of the rails and alsohaving at one end thereof an inturned portion affording a shoulderwhereby said locking element is maintained against outward movement fromits operative position.

5. The combination with the adjacent ends of railway rails, each ofwhich has a portion. of its web and base removed, of a rail clampcomprising parallel members between which said rail ends are received,and a transverse member connecting said parallel members at a pointintermediate their ends, said transverse member being shaped toconstitute an abutment against which said rail ends comfortably seat,and a rail chair for embracing and supporting said clamp and said railends and having a portion adapted to be engaged by said clamp wherebyrelative movement of the latter from its operative position isprevented.

6. The combination with the adjacent ends of railway rails, each ofwhich has a portion of its web and base removed, of a rail clampcomprising parallel members between which said rail ends are received, atransverse member connecting said parallel members at a pointintermediate their ends, said transverse member being shaped toconstitute an abutment against which said rail ends comfortably seat, arail chair for embracing and supporting said clamp and said rail ends,said chair having an inturned portion at one end thereof forming ashoulder, and a locking element complementing one of said railembracingmembers and adapted to be interposed between an end of the latter andsaid shoulder whereby relative movement of said clamp from its operativeposition is prevented.

7 The combination with the adjacent ends of railway rails, of a railclamp comprising parallel members between which said rail ends arereceived, and a transverse member connecting said parallel members at apoint intermediate their ends, said transverse member being shaped toconstitute an abutment for limiting longitudinal movement of said rails,and a rail chair for embracing and supporting said clamp and said railends, said chair being provided with means whereby relative movement ofthe clamp from its operative position is prevented.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

LUTHER H. BRAUN.

Witnesses:

FRED M. COLEMAN, FRANK X. STRIKER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

